Celebratory Milestones and Meals of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time to treat yourself! But, you should nourish your baby and body at the same time too.

Celebrate your pregnancy and all the milestones along the way! Though it may not always feel like it, being pregnant is a gift that not everyone gets to experience. You have a beautiful baby on the way, and celebrating making it through each phase in a healthy and safe way can help you deal with some of the discomforts that come along with your growing bundle of joy. This is also an important time to connect with your partner and continue to strengthen your bond since a baby makes finding time for each other difficult.

1st Trimester

Positive Pregnancy Test – Hopefully, at this point, you are still feeling well, and you can still fit into your clothes. So, this may be a great occasion to get dressed up and go out to dinner. Some top things to avoid when eating out for a healthy diet are fried foods, pre-made bottled salad dressings, most soups as they are made from powders and contain MSG, refined carbohydrates, and excessive sugars. Some great options at restaurants would be salmon for Omega 3s or steak for iron, zinc, and Vitamin A.

First Heartbeat or Ultrasound

A favorite celebratory meal for my husband and I is rib eye steaks and bacon Brussels sprouts. To cook the bacon Brussels sprouts

Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts

8 strips bacon (refined sugar-free, preservative free)

Directions:

Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat.

Once the pan is hot, lay 8 strips of bacon into the bacon. Turn when browned to your liking and cook until done.

Lay the bacon on a paper towel.

Cut the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and cut sprouts in half.

Gently dump the Brussels sprouts in the pan that contains the bacon grease. Careful not to splash yourself with hot oil.

Cook the Brussels sprouts for 10-15 minutes or until they are softened and browning.

Cut the bacon into cubes, and pour back into the pan after the Brussels sprouts are almost done.

Cook everything together for 1-2 minutes.

I would also recommend that you develop a habit of having a fun pregnancy drink. I loved sparkling water, either plain or with a splash of cranberry juice. La Croix is another great option. Next pregnancy, I plan to drink Kombucha as my special drink since it is mine currently while nursing.

Second Trimester

Surviving the First Trimester

Now that you are hopefully feeling better and have more energy. I would suggest some special time with your significant other having brunch in bed.

Make an orange juice spritzer, eggs with sausage or bacon, and some gluten free banana nut muffins. To make the orange juice spritzer fill a wine glass with half orange juice and half sparkling water or whatever ratio works for you.

Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3/4 cup coconut flour

2/3 cup dates (pitted)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 egg

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Directions:

2. In a food processor, combine dates, banana, coconut oil, coconut milk and vanilla. Blend until the dates are completely ground. This may take a few minutes. Then, add in the egg, and blend to combine.

3. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just moistened.

4. Fill the cups in a cupcake pan, and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes.

Gender Scan

To celebrate finding out if your arrival is a boy or a girl, an easy treat is chocolate fondue. You can spend some time sharing your dessert and discussing what you need to buy, baby names, or your thoughts on the gender. If you are not finding out the gender, you can still celebrate having a healthy ultrasound and being halfway through pregnancy.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of chocolate sweetened with stevia

1/2 cup full-fat milk of choice

2 tsp vanilla

Favorite fruit (bananas, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple)

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl sitting on a pot of boiling water (double boiler).

2. Cut up the fruit and place in bowls.

3. Move pot and bowl to the table.

4. Dip the fruit into the bowl and enjoy.

Third Trimester

Early term

My husband and I love playing games together. So, as a fun night, find some of your favorite games and play 1 or 2. For this, make some healthy nachos to fuel your body and feed your cravings.

Healthy, Yummy Nachos

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

pinch of garlic powder

pinch of onion powder

pinch of dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

pinch sea salt

1 lb ground turkey

1 can organic black beans (rinsed thoroughly)

cheddar cheese

tomato

avocado

sprouted chips

full-fat greek yogurt

Directions:

Brown the turkey in a pan with the taco seasoning spices.

Place your chips on a baking sheet. The more that you spread out the chips to reveal their surface, the more they will be covered with yummy toppings.

Cover your chips in the turkey, beans, tomato, and avocado. Then, sprinkle with cheese. Make sure not to go to heavy with cheese. Just enough to give each chip some flavor.

Bake at 350 F for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Top with the Greek yogurt as a substitution for sour cream.

Full-term

Home stretch, and baby’s brain is growing a ton at this stage. That means they need adequate healthy fats, especially ones rich in cholesterol. I would suggest making some of Dave Asprey’s “Get Some” Ice Cream. I have made a custard version if you don’t have an ice cream maker, or I have a pumpkin pie version depending on if you are in the mood for some fall flavors.

Last date night before the baby

A date night for you may be going out, or it may be staying in, watching a movie, and having your favorite meal. Just enjoy your last moments of sleep and peace.

For more ideas for healthy, easy family meals, subscribe for my FREE two week meal plan!
For ideas of how to feed your child nutrient dense food, check out my E-Book, A Recipe for a Healthy Baby.